Process for the treatment of fruit for the prevention of decay



Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM R. BARG-ER, 0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOVERNMENT AND 'THE PEOPLE OF THE U'NI'JJED STATES OF AMERICA.

PROCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF FRUIT FOR THE PREVENTION OF DECAY.

N'o Drawing.

Application filed November 14, 1927. Serial No. 233,297.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883.)

- This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat. 625) and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its oflicers or employees in 1 the prosecution of work for the Government, or any person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention consists of a process for the treating of fresh fruits, particularly citrus fruits, with a solution of cadmium sulphate (3CdSO 8I-I O) in water to prevent decay caused by green and blue molds. In concentration the cadmium sulphate may range from one part by weight to four hundred parts of water to two parts by weight to one hundred parts of Water. In place of chem ically pure cadmium sulphate it has been found that commercial cadmium sulphate can be used without decreasing the eifectiveness of the treatment provided the requisite concentration of cadmium sulphate is present.

Treatment of fruit with this solution controls decay caused by P. digitatum and P. italiourm, and aids in the control of decays caused by other fungi such as the decays caused by Pythiacystis m'tm', and Diplodz'a natalemz's.

The concentration of cadmium sulphate to beused depends somewhat upon the vigor of the fruit and the character of injury ofthe rind. Ordinarily, a concentration of onehalf per cent cadmium sulphate by weight in water will give adequate control of green and blue mold decay. This compound is pardirectly into the water in the treating tank or may be dissolved separately in water before placing it in the tank. I do not desire to limit the temperature of the treating solution to any set temperature as various temperatures from 60 F. upward have proven effective. Neither do I desire to limit the time required for the treatment as good results have been obtained in the control of these fungi with treatment of three minutes duration while treatments up to eight or even ten minutes on tender fruit do not necessarily injure the fruit. For young and vigorous fruit a thorough wetting of the rind which can be done in two or three minutes is suflic ient to give effective ontrolof blue and green mold decay while over-ripe or old fruit may require as much as ten minutes to render the rind resistant to the fungi. The treatment above described is accomplished by spraying, submerging, immersing, or causing the fruit to pass through a receptacle or tank containing the solution of cadmium sulphate in such a manner that the entire surface of the fruit is wet with the solution. The apparatus described by Barger, Hukill and Hawkins in United States Patent No. 1,559,733 may be used for this purpose. The treating solution may be applied to the fruit immediately prior to the time of washing, during the washing process, or as a treatment on clean fruit without the other washing. The fruit may be sprayed as it leaves the treating solution with water or a dilute solution of cadmium sulphate to remove excessive deposits of the salt without lessening the effectiveness of the treatment.

I claim:

A process of treating fresh fruit, especially citrus fruit, with a solution of card mium sulphate in proportions of one part by Weight to two hundred parts of water up to four parts by weight to one hundred parts of water to prevent decay in such'fruit caused by Penicillz'um digitatum and Pem'c illz'um ital'icum.

WILLIAM R. BARGER. 

